Statement on dismissal of voting rights lawsuit

Every day, the ACLU works to defend and protect civil rights, including the right to vote. Every person’s vote is important, and every person who wants to vote should to be able to do so. Unfortunately, many voters in the Pahoa community were prevented from exercising that right, and we asked the Hawai‘i Supreme Court to help. Although the Court declined to do so, we are grateful that they quickly considered this crucial situation. While our clients are disappointed that they will not be able to cast ballots in the primary election, the ACLU will assertively continue its work to ensure that every person has an equal opportunity to vote. Hawaii needs to do better – even when a natural disaster strikes – and we look forward to working with the Legislature to create safeguards to prevent future voters from being denied a fundamental right.